PSJA teacher selected for Smithsonian institute says she will bring STEM curriculum back to district
April 06, 2026 | PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO ISD, School Districts, Texas
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Tammy Badai, a teacher in PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO ISD, said she was selected for the Smithsonian Teacher Innovators Institute and will return to the district to help develop and share new STEM curriculum materials.
"They choose 30 teachers," Badai said, adding that cohort maps show her as "the only one below San Antonio that's ever had the opportunity to participate." She described the application as "super rigorous," saying she videotaped herself as part of her submission.
Badai called the institute "a once in a-lifetime opportunity that I cannot pass up," and said the training will allow her to learn techniques she has not encountered before in STEM education. She said she plans to act as a curriculum writer for PSJA and embed what she learns "so that it benefits everybody in PSJA, if not the valley."
Describing classroom effects, Badai said students respond enthusiastically to hands-on lab work: "They always want to come. They always look forward to coming because they want to see what's next." She referenced colleagues by first name during her remarks and emphasized that her work is aimed at improving outcomes for students: "It's all for the kids. It's not for myself. It's for them."
The district and meeting records did not provide a formal vote or next steps tied to the selection; Badai presented the information during discussion. The transcript spells the teacher's surname both as "Badai" and as "Bhadai"; the speaker self-identified at the microphone during the meeting and described her role as a South Texas teacher with PSJA located about five minutes from the U.S.–Mexico border.
No additional program details, dates for the institute or formal district actions were provided in the transcript.
"They choose 30 teachers," Badai said, adding that cohort maps show her as "the only one below San Antonio that's ever had the opportunity to participate." She described the application as "super rigorous," saying she videotaped herself as part of her submission.
Badai called the institute "a once in a-lifetime opportunity that I cannot pass up," and said the training will allow her to learn techniques she has not encountered before in STEM education. She said she plans to act as a curriculum writer for PSJA and embed what she learns "so that it benefits everybody in PSJA, if not the valley."
Describing classroom effects, Badai said students respond enthusiastically to hands-on lab work: "They always want to come. They always look forward to coming because they want to see what's next." She referenced colleagues by first name during her remarks and emphasized that her work is aimed at improving outcomes for students: "It's all for the kids. It's not for myself. It's for them."
The district and meeting records did not provide a formal vote or next steps tied to the selection; Badai presented the information during discussion. The transcript spells the teacher's surname both as "Badai" and as "Bhadai"; the speaker self-identified at the microphone during the meeting and described her role as a South Texas teacher with PSJA located about five minutes from the U.S.–Mexico border.
No additional program details, dates for the institute or formal district actions were provided in the transcript.
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